Services

A Two Day Couples Therapy Intensive (also known as Marathon Couples Therapy) is a dynamic and effective alternative to traditional weekly sessions and a specialty area of Certified Gottman Therapist and Clinic Director Madonna Hirning. This approach provides you with the time and space you need to address your most painful and challenging issues as a couple and get your relationship back on track in a short but intense period of time.

 

Intensive couples therapy can be especially effective because it enables both of you to feel heard and understood in a safe environment and get to the heart of the problems you are experiencing a lot more quickly than if meeting week to week. Having the two full days to work through your issues can also create a better sense of “flow”. Madonna helps manage the intensity of the experience by pacing what is worked on and closely monitoring your physiological state whilst helping both of you learn how to manage your physiological distress and overwhelm. 

 

Intensive Couples Therapy can be especially useful when you want to engage in Gottman Method Couples Therapy but live in an area without access to therapists trained in this method or if you or your partner have work or family commitments that make weekly therapy appointments difficult to attend.

 

During your intensive Madonna will work with you to:

 

• Help you learn to communicate in more effective and less damaging ways

• Enable you to talk about conflict areas in a calmer way to help you both feel more heard and understood

• Deepen your understanding of each other

• Strengthen your bond and leave you feeling more connected as a couple

• Improve your intimate connection

• Identify shared values and dreams

• Put mechanisms in place that will help safeguard the progress you have made and build ongoing connection

 

Prior to your intensive you will both complete a comprehensive assessment process via a series of detailed written questionnaires along with the online Gottman Connect Relationship Assessment – an online relationship assessment package developed by the Gottman Institute. This information will all help Madonna understand both of your individual histories and the history of your relationship as well as some of the main issues that have developed over time and bring you to couples therapy now.

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Following your intensive Madonna may recommend a few appointments either in person or online via Telehealth to help you consolidate what you have learnt and be able to implement the skills gained to new situations that may arise. Couples who have engaged in this process in the past have reported that they were able to process a range of unresolved issues, learn many new skills and are surprised with how much change was possible in a short space of time. The aim of Gottman Method Couples Therapy is ultimately to equip you both with the skills and understanding you need to be able to reconnect and continue to nurture your relationship and deal with new challenges and conflicts in a way that enables both of you to feel heard, respected and understood and to be able to make effective repairs when required.

 

Once you have made a decision to engage in a couples therapy intensive it is important that you both try to hit the pause button on any ongoing issues and tensions in the relationship knowing that you have taken an important step in creating a different kind of relationship. Booking in for a couples therapy intensive is a gesture of courage and commitment to explore new growth in your relationship.

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Cost

A Two Day Couples Therapy Intensive with Certified Gottman Therapist Madonna Hirning is $4600 which includes your full assessment process. An additional $500 applies for each weekend or Public Holiday day booked.